


we can meet again

by euphorla



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Fluff and Angst, M/M, nymph!san
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21724636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphorla/pseuds/euphorla
Summary: San was granted the wish of living in solitude until a boy stumbles into his world.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

San was humming with the wind, as if he was trying to reach for what was above the clouds and beyond the stars. The wind picked up and he felt a slight shiver but made no effort to move. Usually, the nymph would be unbothered by the sound of nature around him, but the sudden snap of a branch caused him to turn. 

A boy looked back at him, wide-eyed as if he was caught doing something unwarranted and San returned the same expression. The sun was bright enough to illuminate the stranger’s face; his skin seeming to glow against his dark hair and eyes. San tried his best to contain his internal panicking by glaring at the trespasser—not that the forest was his to claim.

"I-I'm sorry,” the boy began loudly to accommodate for the distance between them. "I didn't mean to scare you… I was just walking and then I heard someone singing.” A slight accent was traced in his voice. 

San just stared at him like he was a wild creature. Noticing his lack of response, the boy continued, "It's been awhile since I've been here. Are you from this area?” His voice was soft, yet piercing. Despite being at least 30 feet in the air, he heard his voice clearly—or maybe it was because San's attention was solely on him. Instead of focusing on the sunset, he watched how the changing colors of the sky reflected onto the boy's figure. 

San wasn't sure on what to do. It was rare for people to pass through this area and even so, no one has never noticed him. He assumed no one would dare enter the woods as the sun was setting, but he mistakingly let his guard down. He would've never thought of the day where he would be discovered and it came in the form of a boy with glasses and a beanie too large for his head. He didn't seem like a threat and to be honest with himself, San was intrigued. 

"Sorry to bother you,” he let out a chuckle as he was kicking the ground—face hidden—but once he looked up, there was a slight smirk. "I didn't expect to meet someone out here.”

"Neither did I…” San finally managed to voice out, and the boy took a step closer, craning his head to the side. 

"What was that?” He raised his voice and it echoed in San's ear. Maybe he was going to regret this, but San decided to retreat from his spot from the tree, and in an instant, was standing right in front of the other. 

The boy blinked in surprise. "H-How—”

“I… climb often?” San said sheepishly, feeling small under the other's gaze, but that disappeared immediately once the boy grinned. 

"That was impressive!” San quirked his lips at the other's eagerness. “I assume you live around here?” 

“For as long as I could remember.” _That wasn't a lie._ “I just like visiting the forest.” _But that was._

The boy’s smile grew brighter and San was enamored. "I'm Wooyoung.”

"Wooyoung,” he muttered, the words sounding foreign yet familiar on his tongue. It’s been so long since he’s said a new name. “I’m San.”

The boy never stopped smiling. “How funny! Did you know that your name means ‘mountain’ in Korean?”

It was a vague memory, but maybe—at some point in his life—he did know, but at this moment, he had forgotten. “No, I didn’t know that. I'm Korean, but I've lost my mother tongue.” This was the first time he voiced this out to anyone and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

His eyes widened and San was worried that he might have said the wrong thing. “What?!” San would've flinched at how loud and high-pitched his tone was, but he was already used to the frequent changes in his voice. "I would've never guessed, especially because of your hair.”

San suddenly felt self-conscious under his innocent gaze. He knew that he looked strange—the reflections in the river provided enough proof of that—but for a second, he thought that he was normal. He let himself believe that he looked normal enough for the boy to treat him like a ordinary person, but he was wrong and he should just leave—

"I think it's really pretty.” San looked at him with an expression akin to aghast as his eyes were blown wide. 

"W-What?” He sputtered, unsure if he heard correctly. 

"The color of your hair and eyes." He tilted his head closer and San felt comfortable enough to not cower from the proximity. He noticed the mole on the other's lip and he was about to voice out his discovery until Wooyoung spoke up again.

"Do you not like it?" His voice almost sounded concerned and San wasn't sure why.

"N-No, it's just…” His face reddened and he was sure Wooyoung noticed. “I’ve never thought of it as... pretty?" His words trailed off when he noticed the other frowning.

"How is that possible? You look like someone straight out of a book; like how one would describe those ethereal beings in fantasy stories.” The seriousness in Wooyoung’s tone made the other giggle, surprising the both of them.

“I—“ He didn't know how to respond and it seemed like it'll always be this way with how unpredictable Wooyoung was. "T-Thank you?” Being complimented offered a strange feeling, but San didn’t mind if it was from the other.

The boy offered a grin in return and it was only then did San realize that the sun has finally set because even though everything was dully lit under the moonlight, Wooyoung was still shining. 

The boy glanced at the moon. "Sorry for holding you up; we should probably head back.”

San tensed up, his fingers tightening into fist out of nervous habit as he hid them behind his back. “I live in the town on the other side,” he gestured his head to the side, “so we'll be parting ways from here.”

"Oh…” Wooyoung said, disappointment leaking from his voice. "I can walk with you—“ 

He instantly shut him down, and he could see the frown forming on the other. “It's a far walk and you've probably never been there; I don't want you to get lost.”

"I can find my way—“ 

"It's okay, Wooyoung.” San offered a smile. He realized that Wooyoung was very open, already seeming to trust the other. 

"I'll see you again then?” He was hesitant with his following words: "Do you have a number?”

The question was at the tip of San’s tongue, but he believed it would be best if the other left before night fully fell. He shook his head and hoped that he wouldn't question why. 

Wooyoung’s frown deepened, but he continued to ask, "Will you... be here again?” He was chewing the corner of his lip nervously as he was still looking at San, hope sparking in his eyes.

The nymph softly smiled. "I can't promise you that, but just so you know…”

_Regret was crossing San's mind._

"This is my favorite place to watch the sunset.”

 _But his smile made him forget the consequences._   
  
Again, Wooyoung's grin reached his eyes, forming crescents that belonged to the sky. "Got it," he waved as he began trailing backwards, "See you, San.”

They both retreated, not taking their eyes off one another until Wooyoung's path became too unfamiliar for him. 

The boy hoped that they'll meet again, so he wouldn't have to say goodbye to those gentle green eyes so soon. 


	2. Chapter 2

Sometimes, he’ll sleep on the branches instead of submerging into the river because he always hated going back. He didn’t like the constrictive feeling once he’d touch the water despite it being the only place where he could rest, but even so, he never considered it his home. He was a cursed soul his entire life and this was just his final—albeit _eternal—_ punishment. He never questioned it because who is to say that he didn’t deserve it. He believed he did, so at the end of every night, he pointedly nourished the land surrounding the river and never strayed from his duties. He’s grown to treat it as a daily task rather this sole purpose of living because he liked to believe that he had another purpose even if he hasn’t found it yet.

Beings like him were _hated_ ; their histories and tales were misconstrued throughout centuries even if San only experienced a small portion of this time. He knew that he was seen as a monster and that in order to live peacefully, he had to avoid those with cruel and untrustworthy hearts. If he were to ever cross paths with one, he had to resort to means that would protect the forest, but thankfully, he has yet to experience an encounter like that.

“Where do you live again?”

“A town a few miles from here.” The lie slipped easily from his lips, finding no harm in entertaining the thought that he was just a normal person like the one in front of him. He wanted to live in this moment like it was a dream, where there were no consequences to his words. He’s never traveled outside of this forest, but he couldn’t reveal this to the boy whose heart was dangerously displayed on his sleeve; he was too trusting and San wanted to be someone that he could trust as well.

“Do you have family there?”

This question resurfaced many things for San, but none of them were clear. These thoughts were buried in his mind for so long; he couldn’t recall anything even if he tried, but he found one thing in his heart that he wanted to share.

“I lived with my grandparents for most of my life, so I miss them dearly.” San’s face was pained but he still had a fond smile and the other returned it as if he understood—or maybe he was just perceptive. San still has a lot to learn about him.

He loved to sing and recently, he found it more enjoyable in the presence of Wooyoung’s smile whenever he’d catch him humming a simple tune or singing a lullaby in a lost language that San forgot the meaning of. He used to only sing when he was perched on a tree because it was the most privacy he could achieve. He’d mutter incoherent sounds or softly hum during the sunset, fearful of any passersby, as he watches the skyline and everything above it.

San would never intentionally sing in front of Wooyoung, but when he caught him off guard—which seems to become less frequent as he was always expecting the other—he begged San to let him hear his voice, saying how he could serenade anyone in the world if he choses to do so. 

“The _angels_ would come down just to hear you," he said. San could only chuckle at his sincerity because he was so blissfully ignorant of _what_ San was to even say those words of praise. But he was also a fool himself because he allowed to let himself believe that if Wooyoung’s words held truth, then he would be able to serenade the angel sitting right in front of him; the angel who liked harmless jokes and playful banters that held only tender affection behind them. He believed that Wooyoung could never tell a lie because of how genuine his view of the world was; however, he has yet to experience the nymph’s misery and San will keep it that way for as long as they’re together.


End file.
